Our 45th Annual Dance Recital: June 19-20, 2026

Dress Rehearsal:  Parents will drop off their dancers at the stage door entrance on the north side of the auditorium.  Students should arrive in full costume, make-up and wearing their dance shoes.  If dancers have worn a sweater or street shoes, parents should take those things with them, so the dancers don’t have anything extra backstage.  Don’t send their dance bags, water bottles, or anything to eat or drink and no gum.  Please do not send electronic games/toys, entertainment devices, or cell phones.  (The same applies for performance nights.) No parents/visitors are allowed in the theater (except volunteers on the helpers list).  Upon arrival, dancers are seated in the theater with their class and can watch the show until their turn to dance. Students in Dance Arts classes and above will return to sit in the audience until dismissed at 6:00 PM.

Those dancing in Act I should arrive at the stage door by 4:00 PM. Preschool dancers can be picked up at the stage door immediately after they have danced.  Dismissal times will be posted on the door when you drop them off.  Other students can be picked up at the stage door at 6:00 PM.  If parents limit the amount of liquid young dancers drink before dress rehearsal and recital, the volunteers will thank you.

Dancers in the Act II Ballet should arrive by 6:00 PM and will rehearse from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.   If dancers wish to watch Act I, they should arrive by 4:30 PM, as dancers are not allowed in the audience before they’ve danced on recital nights.

Costumes:  Please put full names in all costumes, shoes, and accessories.  We ask that all students have a piece of tape inside the front of their costume with emergency contact information (parent’s name and cell #).  Many costumes would benefit by being steamed (or hung near the shower) or pressed but be careful with an iron because many costume fabrics will melt.  Please don’t let dancers wear costumes before dress rehearsal (except for picture day). Check with your instructor on placement of accessories and headpieces. Do not bring jewelry, watches, money, electronic devices, or other valuables to the auditorium.  Dancers are to wear no jewelry: no necklaces, bracelets, rings, and no tattoos (real or temporary).  If they have pierced ears, they may wear plain gold posts, but nothing sparkly.  Fingernails should be natural color or with light pink polish. Ballet slippers should be clean with ties taped inside.  Tap shoes should have black elastic loops or Velcro, no bows to tie.  Remember, girls do not wear underpants with their costumes or under tights; think of it like a bathing suit.

What you must provide:

Our local dance store, Petticoat Junction, is a great resource for tights and new shoes.

Hair: Check with your instructor regarding hair styles, but most students should wear their hair “neat and out of the face”.  That means half up/half down, ponytail, side ponytail, pigtails, or bun.  Anything you put in the hair (hair clips, bobby pins, elastics, etc.) should match hair color and not show.  Please use plenty of hairspray or gel to make sure it stays in place.  Dancers should not have to touch their hair while performing. Dancers wearing bun should have a hair net and lots of hair pins.  There are great tutorials online for making ballet buns.

Makeup:  All dancers must wear makeup for stage lighting: eyebrow pencil, light eye shadow under the brow, brown or purple eye shadow on the eyelid (the goal is to make the eyes stand out when under bright stage lights), pink blusher on the cheekbones, and red lipstick.  It’s best to wear lipstick that will not smear.  Please have dancers wear full makeup for both dress rehearsal and recital performances.  This is so grownups can practice applying it and dancers can practice not touching it.  Older dancers should also wear foundation, black eyeliner, mascara/false eyelashes.

Recital:  Dancers must arrive in full costume and make-up no later than 6:15 PM.  Curtain time is 7:00 PM. For the SAFETY of the performers and CONSIDERATION for the rest of the audience, NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO TAPING will be allowed during recital performances or dress rehearsal.  On the nights of recital, students are backstage in the hallways with parent volunteers that have been assigned to their class.  These volunteers stay with the children and escort them to and from the stage. If your dancer performs in the 1^st Act, please send one grownup to pick them up in the balcony at intermission.  Please do not try to get your child before intermission because it’s dark in the theater and the volunteers know how many children they have and don’t want to find anyone missing when the lights go up. After intermission, parents may take their children to sit with them on the main floor.

Tickets:  Each family with a dancer participating in the recital will receive 4 tickets as part of your Recital Package.  Tickets may be used for either the Friday or Saturday evening performance.  Anyone sitting in a seat needs a ticket (above age 2).  Dancers do not need tickets since they will be backstage or in the balcony with chaperones. Please sign for and pick up your ticket package at the studio front desk.  Additional tickets can be purchased at the studio or at the box office on the nights of the performances.  The Everett Civic Auditorium is a very large theater, and we encourage you to invite as many people as possible to enjoy the performance and support our students.  Seating is not reserved. The box office and doors open about 45 minutes before curtain time, so parents will drop off the dancers at the stage door and go around to the front of the Auditorium (on the west side) and get in line to come into the theater.

Volunteers are needed to help backstage during dress rehearsal and recital.  If you have a dancer who performs both nights of recital (not Preschool) consider volunteering as a backstage helper.  We always need more volunteers for Saturday night. If you are able to help us volunteer backstage you will receive a complimentary ticket to our recital. This way you can watch the recital one night and help us the other night. Volunteer tickets will be disbursed from the front desk after June 1st. If you do not show up for your volunteer shift after the recital your account on file will be charged for the cost of the ticket. If you can help, please sign up online here.

Flowers: Alderwood Dance Spectrum has partnered with Barbara’s Floral to offer beautiful bouquets for your dancer on recital night. Bouquets will be available for pickup in the theater lobby before each performance – which means you won’t need to make any additional stops at the store on the way to the theater for flowers and they’ll be a complete surprise for your dancer! Choose from 4 different arrangements. Pick up your bouquet in the lobby of the theater before the recital begins at 7 p.m. All bouquets not picked up by intermission will be discarded. Pre-orders will be available until Friday, June 12. We will have limited additional bouquets for purchase at the theater on each show night, but pre-ordering your bouquet will guarantee you’ll have flowers for your dancer to congratulate them on a job well done! Click here to order your bouquets.

Refreshments:  We plan to offer refreshments during intermission on both nights of the recital.  We ask for volunteers to donate store bought or homemade baked goods that we sell during intermission.  The proceeds benefit our Dance Team in their activities.  If you can provide some treats, please sign up at the front desk.  Everything sells for $1.00 (cash only), and items should be pre-packaged (small baggies, etc.) accordingly and brought to the studio on your last day of class or to dress rehearsal. If you can donate treats, please sign up online here.

Video Recording and Photography are not allowed during dress rehearsal or recital performances.  As part of your Recital Participation Package, you will be receiving a link to the professional quality video which you may download.

Recital Costume Photos: Capturing Time Photography will be at the studio on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 providing recital photography. This is your opportunity to have your dancer’s picture taken in their recital costume(s). Click here to sign up for a link to sign up for a time slot. Sign up for 1 slot for each costume to be photographed in. Dancers should be “picture ready” by the start of their time slot (hair and make up done, costume on and dance shoes on).